A Longing's Reflection
by Lost to the Hoping
Summary: A window into another realm, another reality; how can they embrace a love forbidden for the sake of sanity, especially if the other doesn't exist? SessKag Cover belongs to Rikayu-chan on dA!
1. Mirror, Mirror

**Mirror, Mirror**

**Characters: Kagome**

**Description: The gift for her sixteenth year.**

**Rating: K**

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah. Totally mine. I'm not a sexy Irish girl, but an old Japanese woman.**

**Dedication: Rikayu, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'. ^^**

xXx

It was her sixteenth birthday, and the whole kingdom was in a frenzy over the momentous occasion. Left and right, she received gifts from would-be suitors, friends and family alike. The entire day was happy, and busy.

Finally, she got a moment to herself and used it to slip away from the crowds, running down the hall, then the stairs, into the depths of the castle. Whispered words from the past, from a stranger, echoed in her mind.

_On the eve of your sixteenth birthday, use this key I give you now. Unlock the unused chamber, and my gift for you will be there..._

Of course, she'd been ten at the time and had tried to find the gift back then. The chamber had been bare.

Now, she fitted the key into the lock and turned it, listening wistfully to the familiar grind and thunk. The wood door swung open with a heavy, tired creak. She gasped.

All over the chamber, silk ribbons were draped, blending perfectly with her soft yellow dress. However, the stranger was nowhere to be seen.

Kagome Higurashi, princess of the Tokyo Empire, found herself disappointed.

Until she saw the ornamental mirror on the far wall. It stood at least ten feet tall, it's girth taking up three or four feet of space. The wooden frame was carved at intervals with delicate flowers and smooth, staff-thick vines, seeming almost alive for the vivid picture they presented.

Her face ached for the brilliant grin on her face. "Arigato, etoranze," she whispered, walking amongst the hanging swaths of fabric to run her hand along the mirror.

xXx

**Thanks for reading; R&R!**


	2. The Sacred Artifact

**The Sacred Artifact**

**Characters: Kagome, Sesshomaru**

**Description: He said something, but she couldn't hear a sound.**

**Rating: K+**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. But the mirror is. (no, that's a lie)**

**Dedication: ****Rikayu, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'. ^^**

xXx

Every passing day became harder and harder to endure. He was almost tempted to term his life 'unlivable', were it not for the small, childish hope that it'd soon get better and he'd have a chance to breathe again. He felt like he was drowning in an endless pool of dark water with no end, no beginning and absolutely no way to take in a lungful of air.

And then there was that _stupid_ promise.

_A gift. For you, Sesshomaru-taicho. But only on the anniversary of your mother's death will you receive it. Look into it, and all your pain will melt away, given time._

It was a lie. It had to be. As the general of his father's army, he couldn't believe such a thing. It was only a fairy tale he'd talked himself into believing for the sake of his drooping hopes. A bit of the child he'd never been allowed to be.

With a thump, he slammed his bedroom door shut. The catch fell, locking out anyone who dared disturb him while he was in such a foul state. He knew instantly what was there but shouldn't be.

In the back of his room, beside his dresser, sat a cloth-covered something. _A mirror, perhaps?_ Curiosity got the best of him and he strode across the room, ripping away the sheet... and froze.

xXx

Kagome ran her fingers along the frame, then across the glass. She blinked as it rippled, then grew murky. She was no longer looking into a reflection so much as through something like a window.

_It's a sacred artifact, from the old Kingdom!_ she realized quickly, eyes widening with delight. She clapped her hands, then touched the glass gently with silk-covered fingertips. She was met with resistance, but that didn't deter her.

Pulling her hand away, she leaned forward, trying to see through what appeared to be a curtain of some kind. Muted light filtered through it, but beyond that, she couldn't see a thing.

Then, abruptly, the curtain was ripped away, revealing a handsome man with long silver hair and dazzling golden eyes. Those eyes widened in surprise and he said something, but she couldn't hear a sound.

She sighed and lifted a hand, touching her ear and shaking her head. He frowned slightly, straightening his shoulders, and held up a finger. _Wait a moment._

She would wait as long as it took.

xXx

**Thank you again, lovely Rika! ^^**


	3. Save Me

**Save Me**  
**Characters: Sesshomaru, Kagome**  
**Description: Has she waited just as long as I, trapped in a world of silk and glass?**  
**Rating: K**  
**Disclaimer: I make no profit off of this story, aside from honing my writing talent to become the best I possibly can.**  
**Dedication: Rikayu-chan, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'. ^^**

xXx

He returned quickly enough, with a piece charcoal in his hand. Pausing, Sesshomaru peered through the mirror at the princess clad in spun gold... _Who is she?_ Whispered words from a shadow in the past brushed his mind... _Look into it, and all your pain will melt away..._

_All my pain?_ Sesshomaru thought derisively. Then he met curious, anxious blue eyes and wondered... _Has she waited just as long as I, trapped in a world of silk and glass?_

He set the charcoal to the glass, expression calm, cool, locked... and wrote a message, hoping a childish hope that he would be saved.

xXx

**Thanks again for reading, thank you very much for the art Rika, and please review to those who like my little fairy tale.**


	4. Palm

**Palm**  
**Characters: Kagome, Sesshomaru**  
**Description: She couldn't help but reach out, pressing her palm against the glass.**  
**Rating: K**  
**Disclaimer: I make no profit off of this story, aside from honing my writing talent to become the best I possibly can.**  
**Dedication: Rikayu-chan, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'. ^^**

xXx

Kagome drew in a shaky breath as she read the awkward writing. She lifted a hand, fingers brushing her side of the mirror, on top of what he'd said...

_Sesshomaru. That is my name._

Such a scary name. He was named to breed fear into the hearts of his enemies. That was the only explanation she could come up with.

However, when she lifted her eyes and met his - _he's so guarded... so unloved..._ - she couldn't help but reach out, pressing her palm against the glass. "Kagome," she said slowly, hoping he could read lips.

His brow furrowed, but he lifted his hand as well, placing it over her's.

She gasped, almost pulling away with shock. His eyes had widened as well.

_She could feel the heat of his palm_.

xXx

**Thank you for reading. Please review. ^^**


	5. Small

**Small**

**Characters: Sesshomaru**  
**Description: Her hand was so small. So fragile and dainty...**  
**Rating: ****K**  
**Disclaimer: I make no profit off of this story, aside from honing my writing talent to become the best I possibly can.**  
**Dedication: Rikayu-chan, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'. ^^**

xXx

After Sesshomaru got over his initial shock, he pressed his hand completely against the glass, pushing... but his efforts to break through were in vain. This was no ordinary glass and that was no ordinary realm...

He sighed and stopped pushing, merely staring down at his hand against her's, separated only by the thin barrier of the mirror. _Kagome_...

Her hand was so small, tiny in comparison to his. He imagined that it was dreadfully easy to break, so fragile and dainty...

Yet he held no desire to break it. Only to touch it, to hold it... To hear her voice.

xXx

**Thanks for reading. Please review. ^^ Also, thanks to QuietWhisper for the prompt 'small'.**


	6. Sword

**Sword**

**Characters: Kagome, Sesshomaru**  
**Des****cription: She took in a sharp breath, staring at the sword on his hip.**  
**Rating: K**  
**Disclaimer: I make no profit off of this story, aside from honing my writing talent to become the best I possibly can.**  
**Dedication: Rikayu-chan, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'. ^^**

xXx

Something shiny at the edge of the mirror caught her attention after a moment. He shifted slightly and it caught the light for a moment, glimmering. She took in a sharp breath, staring at the sword on his hip.

He noticed her reaction and followed her gaze. Calmly, he touched the hilt of the sword she stared at. Then, he unsheathed it and held it up for her to see.

The pommel was gold, the grip grey and white and the guard red. The blade itself was a glittering silver, almost glowing softly in the muted light of the room he stood in.

She touched the mirror, as if trying to touch the sword. Of course she couldn't.

Abruptly, he sheathed the katana and met her gaze, eyes narrowed. He was waiting.

_For what? My reaction? My verdict? It's a sword; a weapon of... of war. I have never seen war, not in a land as peaceful as my own... we do not have war in our Utopia._

She offered him a smile, uncertain how to convey her thoughts. Finally, she touched the mirror again and shrugged.

_How do I offer my opinion on something I do not know?_

For some reason, he nodded, looking satisfied. Perhaps she had conveyed her thoughts accurately enough.

xXx

**Thank you for reading, please review. Thanks again to QuietWhisper for the prompt 'shiny'.**


	7. BloodThirsty Corpse

**Blood-Thirsty Corpse**

**Characters: Sesshomaru, Kagome**

**Description: In which Sesshomaru finds a zombie.**

**Rating: K+**

**Warning: um... a zombie.**

**Disclaimer: It is not mine and I do not make any profit off of it. Um, InuYasha, that is. **

xXx

Behind him, there was a pounding on the door, followed by the unmistakable stench of rotting flesh. Sesshomaru stiffened and turned away from the mirror. He turned back, noting that she watched him with confusion.

He sighed. "I have to go," he said slowly, so she might read his lips. When she nodded, he picked up the sheet and recovered the mirror. Then he turned again and headed for the source of the poignant smell.

He snatched the door open, revealing his father's minister. Or rather, what had been his father's minister. The man was nothing more than a walking, blood-thirsty corpse now.

It lunged for him, he slid out of it's path and plunged his sword into the base of it's neck. It fell and broke down into dust.

Sesshomaru looked up, catching sight of movement. Another zombie, one of his father's concubines. He snarled and walked forward, wondering what the hell was going on.

xXx

**Yes, I totally did. I introduced zombies into my fic. I was getting a real 'Prince of Persia' feeling from this, so I thought it'd be appropriate. Now excuse me while I pounce my kitten for nomming my arm. Thanks to Discontent Winter for the prompt.**


	8. Parting Ways

**Parting Ways**

**Characters: Kagome, Sesshomaru**

**Rating: K**

**A/N: This drabble was inspired by the DDN Prompt: Flicker**

**Disclaimer: I do not make any profit off of this story, and I do not presume to own any of the characters herein. I merely borrow them from Takahashi Rumiko-san for my own means. I.E.: InuYasha and it's characters are not mine, but belong to Takahashi Rumiko.**

**Dedication: Rikayu, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'.**

Kagome watched him turn away, then hesitate and turn back. She frowned slightly at the flicker of irritation that crossed his face. Concerned, she touched the mirror. He met her gaze and mouthed the words, 'I have to go.'

She didn't want to let him leave, but she understood. He had to return to his life, and frankly, she needed to get back to her guests before she was missed.

Silently, she vowed that she would bring paper next time (will there be a next time?). Sighing, she nodded to him and watched him retrieve the sheet from before.

With only a flick of his wrists, his side of the mirror was shrouded from view and she felt more alone than she ever had.

Shaking her head, Kagome stood. She had guests to attend to now.

**Thanks for reading! Please review, I'd like to know what you think.**


	9. Mysterious Stranger

**Mysterious Stranger**

**Characters: Sesshomaru, 'The Stranger', mentions of others**

**Rating: K+**

**A/N: This drabble was inspired by the DDN Prompt: Shadow**

**Disclaimer: I do not make any profit off of this story, and I do not presume to own any of the characters herein. I merely borrow them from Takahashi Rumiko-san for my own means. I.E.: InuYasha and it's characters are not mine, but belong to Takahashi Rumiko.**

**Dedication: Rikayu, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'.**

Sesshomaru darted through the halls of the palace, avoiding people (not that this was hard, seeing as they were... well, dead). He was a ghost of movement, something that, even if the zombies saw him, he would be gone in the next second.

He melded with the shadows, taunted the undead with his presence...

However, his fun was soon at an end. As soon as he reached the main hall, any humor left to him vanished immediately.

"Stranger!" he cried, dashing forward to the man surrounded by zombies. It was a simple matter to cut himself a path. They weren't particularly fast, really.

The cloaked man felled an undead courtesan trying to gnaw on his arm, then turned his attention to Sesshomaru. "Ah... you are here. Good."

And he crumbled to the ground, turning to sand and leaving behind an empty robe. Leaving Sesshomaru with no answers and a room full of zombies intent on eating him.

He just _loved_ his life.

**XD Poor Sessh. . I torture him so. Hahah. Please review!**


	10. Hojo

**Hojo**

**Characters: Kagome, KagMama, Hojo, mentions of others.**

**Rating: K+**

**A/N: This drabble was inspired by the November 21st Official DDN Prompt no. 7: Feast**

**Disclaimer: I do not make any profit off of this story, and I do not presume to own any of the characters herein. I merely borrow them from Takahashi Rumiko-san for my own means. I.E.: InuYasha and it's characters are not mine, but belong to Takahashi Rumiko.**

**Dedication: Rikayu, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'.**

When Kagome returned to the feast, her mother instantly sought her out. "Where were you?" she cried, throwing her arms around the princess.

"I am sorry, Mother," Kagome replied, patting her back and then stepping away.

She was interrupted by her usual suitor, Tamaki Hojo, eldest son of Duke and Duchess Hojo. "Princess Kagome!" he greeted enthusiastically, taking her hand to kiss her knuckles. "You are in good health, I trust?"

Kagome threw her mother a look that promised private conversation _later_ and smiled politely at Tamaki. "Yes, Hojo, I am," she said. "Thank you for your concern."

"Not at all!" he said, beaming. Suddenly, he pulled a basket out of seemingly nowhere. "This is full of herbs and remedies, in case you get sick. We have plenty around back home, so I thought I'd share with you." His family _did_ run a massive herb garden, after all.

Kagome maintained her forced smile as she accepted the token of good faith. "Thank you, Hojo." She saw her best friend Ayumi gesturing for her across the room. "I must circulate the feast hall now, however. It was nice to see you again."

"And you," he said, watching her go with a love-struck smile.

**Bwahahaha. It's Hojo, hear to smother Kagome with good will. XD I'm so bad. Hee.**


	11. Toga

**Toga**

**Characters: Sesshomaru, SessPapa, mentions of others**

**Rating: T**

**A/N: This drabble was inspired by the DDN Prompt: Undead**

**Disclaimer: I do not make any profit off of this story, and I do not presume to own any of the characters herein. I merely borrow them from Takahashi Rumiko-san for my own means. I.E.: InuYasha and it's characters are not mine, but belong to Takahashi Rumiko.**

**Dedication: Rikayu, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'.**

Sesshomaru stood in the middle of his silent palace. He was wounded, but given the sheer number of undead he'd been forced to fight, this was no surprise. His mother had been among them, he realized numbly.

She, too, had fallen to his blade, just like the others. He hadn't even noticed at the time, but now his heart ached. Luckily, though, he had recognized no others. Meaning his father may still be alive-

_Scritch, shuffle, thunk._

Slowly, Sesshomaru turned, watching as his father stumbled into the room. One of his legs was wounded, but unlike the others, he was _alive_. Barely.

"Protect her," he urged his son. "Izayoi. She is in the Northern Tower. I made her barricade herself there..."

"Father?" Sesshomaru took a step toward him. "You will do so, Father. I will-"

"Will what, Sesshomaru? You are the only one left, aside from her and our son. They were spared for their humanity. Something wishes the deaths of all yokai..." Toga trailed off, eying his son. He sighed. "I do not know why you were spared..." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Take her to the Forest of Ages. There, you will find the great tree yokai Bokuseno. He is a loyal follower of mine and will assist you. Perhaps, with the right spell, you may reverse this curse."

Sesshomaru thought briefly of the mirror in his room. He debated on leaving Kagome a message, but decided it was too risky. Who knew if she still waited for him. "I will, Father. I will save everyone, and return swiftly. I promise."

"Go," Toga hissed, doubling over.

Sesshomaru did not hesitate. He turned and headed North.

**I think that's my second longest chapter. . I'm hoping to inspire reviews with a longer length. I love how I have a few frequent readers, tho. This is to my Kagome reviewer, since she's been around from chapter 1! ^^ Please review, and thanks so much for taking the time to read.**


	12. Moonlit Worry

**Moonlit Worry**

**Characters: Kagome, mentions of others**

**Rating: K+**

**A/N: This drabble was inspired by the Prompt: Moonlit**

**Disclaimer: I do not make any profit off of this story, and I do not presume to own any of the characters herein. I merely borrow them from Takahashi Rumiko-san for my own means. I.E.: InuYasha and it's characters are not mine, but belong to Takahashi Rumiko.**

**Dedication: Rikayu, for her delightful artistry that inspired this story. Mainly, her lovely pictures 'Mirror' and 'Helpless'.**

Weeks had gone by. Kagome was so lonely. Sesshomaru had not returned, though the mirror remained in the depths of the castle. Well, until she had it moved to her bedroom. She had taken to sitting locked up in her room for hours on end, staring into mirror.

She knew her mother was worried, but she didn't care.

All she could do was wait, and she hated that. Kagome didn't want to wait. She wanted him to come back, to stride through the moonlit night and take her hand, spin her around in a dance that would last forever.

And then she was shaking her head, finding herself silly. She hardly knew this man, so why did she want him so badly?

Perhaps only time would tell.

**Thank you for reading, and please review. ^^**


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